Excel 2010 Bible

Chapter 4: Working with Cells and Ranges

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Excel provides additional options for copying to adjacent cells. To use these commands, activate

the cell that you’re copying and extend the cell selection to include the cells that you’re copying to.

Then issue the appropriate command from the following list for one-step copying:

l Home ➪ Editing ➪ Fill ➪ Down (or Ctrl+D) copies the cell to the selected range below.

l (^) Home ➪ Editing ➪ Fill ➪ Right (or Ctrl+R) copies the cell to the selected range to the
right.
l (^) Home ➪ Editing ➪ Fill ➪ Up copies the cell to the selected range above.
l Home ➪ Editing ➪ Fill ➪ Left copies the cell to the selected range to the left.
None of these commands places information on either the Windows Clipboard or the Office
Clipboard.
Tip
You also can use AutoFill to copy to adjacent cells by dragging the selection’s fill handle (the small square in
the bottom-right corner of the selected cell or range). Excel copies the original selection to the cells that you
highlight while dragging. For more control over the AutoFill operation, drag the fill handle with the right
mouse button, and you’ll get a shortcut menu with additional options. n

Copying a range to other sheets.................................................................................

You can use the copy procedures described previously to copy a cell or range to another work-

sheet, even if the worksheet is in a different workbook. You must, of course, activate the other

worksheet before you select the location to which you want to copy.

Excel offers a quicker way to copy a cell or range and paste it to other worksheets in the same

workbook.

1. Select the range to copy.


2. Press Ctrl and click the sheet tabs for the worksheets to which you want to copy the
   information. Excel displays [Group] in the workbook’s title bar.


3. Choose Home ➪ Editing ➪ Fill ➪ Across Worksheets. A dialog box appears to ask
   you what you want to copy (All, Contents, or Formats).


4. Make your choice and then click OK. Excel copies the selected range to the selected
   worksheets; the new copy occupies the same cells in the selected worksheets as the origi-
   nal occupies in the initial worksheet.

Caution
Be careful with the Home ➪ Editing ➪ Fill ➪ Across Worksheets command because Excel doesn’t warn you
when the destination cells contain information. You can quickly overwrite lots of cells with this command and
not even realize it. So make sure you check your work, and use Undo if the result isn’t what you expected. n